The kidnappings occurred early Friday about 10 miles (16 kilometres) off Bonny, where Nigeria's main oil export terminal is located, said Commodore David Nabaida. Abductors took the victims from the MV Eckhardt, he said.

"Pirates kidnapped the captain and the chief engineer," Nabaida said. "We have not been able to establish their nationalities."

Navy officers had no sign of a ransom being demanded and no suspects in the kidnapping, he said. Nabaida did not know which country the ship was from.

The military was not notified of the ship's presence, as such ships are asked to allow naval officers to escort them, he said.

The Niger Delta region has seen scores of kidnappings of oil workers in recent years by criminal gangs seeking ransom payments.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has also carried out attacks and kidnappings in the region, claiming to be fighting for a fairer distribution of oil revenue.

The militant group claimed responsibility for twin car bombings that killed at least 12 people on Friday near Nigeria's independence day celebrations.

Nabaida said there was no sign MEND was involved in the kidnapping, though he underlined that the group had become an umbrella organisation for various criminal gangs.

The navy also had no word on the fate of three French sailors and a Thai victim kidnapped earlier this month, he said.

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